An efficient and general method for the synthesis of 2,9-disubstituted 8-hydroxyadenines, which are expected to have various biological activities, was realized. 5-Amino-4-cyano-2-hydroxyimidazoles (1) were prepared from aminomalononitrile and isocyanates as key intermediates. The condensation of 1a with amidines, imidates, guanidine, urea and thioureas afforded 8-hydroxyadenines (2–6) possessing various substituents at the 2-position. Furthermore, selective alkylation of 2-amino- and 2-hydroxyadenines (4 and 6) successively proceeded to give the corresponding 2-alkylamino- and 2-alkoxyadenines (5 and 7), respectively. 2-Alkylthioadenines (15) were prepared by an analogous reaction of 1a with benzoyl isothiocyanate and subsequent S-alkylation. The imidazoles 1 are most useful intermediates for the synthesis of 8-hydroxyadenine derivatives.